Richard Harris, a British screenwriter born in the early 1930s, made significant contributions to the crime genre during his career, particularly in the 1960s and 70s. He is best known for his work on I Start Counting (1969), where his adept storytelling intertwines suspense with psychological depth. Harris also penned episodes for notable series like The Avengers and The Sweeney, showcasing his talent for crafting intricate plots and memorable characters. His legacy endures as a key figure in the evolution of crime narratives within cult cinema.
I Start Counting
Jenny Agutter plays Wynne, an adopted 14-year-old girl who has a crush on her 32-year-old stepbrother, George, played by Bryan Marshall. While spying on George in the bathroom, Wynne notices George has several scratches on his back, and finds a bloody sweater she made for him that he threw in the trash, which leads her to suspect George of being the serial killer of several local teenage girls, who is still at large. Despite this belief, Wynne continues to have romantic sexual fantasies about George and dreams of marrying him when she comes of legal age.
